Familial Meetings
by Mirokus Kay
Summary: After seeing Meredith, instead of leaving Texas, Nathan decides to meet Claire. Witness their shared, awkward, experience. ONESHOT currently


DISCLAIMER: I do not own Heroes. I do not own anything associated with Heroes. Basically, if you recognize it, it's not mine. If you don't, then it is.

:D Enjoy.

* * *

"Did I speak out of turn?"

Claire held her breath.

"I could call her; I could get her to come back."

Claire looked up at the sky. She wasn't so religious, that spot of the family was reserved for her mom. But now, more than ever, she prayed. _Please. Please let him want to meet me. _At this point she wasn't sure if it was because of her mother's problem, or her own desire to finally, after waiting and searching for so long, meet her real dad. _Please._

"I-I shouldn't, I need to get back. My campaign," she heard her father say. Claire's heart started to break. "You know how Angela can get. She... she didn't even want me to come here. She doesn't know that I have."

Wiping the tear from her face, Claire gave a small sniff. "Yes, I remember how your mother is. She never made much sense to me. But I just thought, if you really wanted to see her, well - you're already hear and all."

"I... I shouldn't. My mother was right. I get attached too easily. I don't know what I would do."

Claire gave a small gasp. At least now she knew that he didn't want to meet her because he didn't want her. Sinking further down on the ground, she admitted to herself, she could see where he might not. _Maybe he has a family. He said something about a campaign. He might just be really busy to not be able to handle having some illegitimate daughter in his life. Maybe he needs some time to process this, like I did._

It still made her sad.

"Yes, that's what I figured. So I let her go home. She left not even five minute before you arrived, she can't have gone that far."

"I see."

There was a pause of silence. Claire wanted to peek up through the window and see what was happening. She shifted, nervously. _What're they doing?_

"W-well. Maybe..."

Claire took a deep breath, holding it, yet again.

"I guess I don't see what it would hurt, right? Mom could just be worried about my campaign, after all. I don't know who's in the running sometimes, her or me."

Claire let out the air she was holding, a ghost of a smile playing on her lips. _Is he serious? Please... please be serious._

"You... seriously? I mean, I'll call her right now." She heard a rustle in the room and the beeping of buttons on a phone being pushed. A loud, obnoxious ring tone that she set for her default went off. She jumped slightly, letting out a gasp, fishing the phone out of her pocket, wanting to hit herself. It was impossible for anyone within 20 feet to NOT have heard that.

She heard the unmistakable whoosh of the window being opened above her. She winced, slowly looking up. Meredith was staring down at her in a mixture of surprise and shock.

She gave a small, hesitant smile. "Uhh... hi?" she said in a small voice. The look she received was comical, and she would've laughed if she wasn't so embarrassed of being caught spying. She swallowed, slowly straightening up. She still wasn't tall enough to reach the window unless she jumped.

"Well. It looks like you're already here. Or still. Come on in then," Meredith said, almost regretfully. Claire froze before hesitantly making her way to the stairs, climbing up them slowly before slowly swinging the door open. She stood in the doorway for a second, almost second guessing herself, before she set her jaw and stepped through the doorway. It took a second for her eyes to adjust to the lack of light, and she quickly glanced around the room, her eyes falling on the man who was sitting stock still at the table.

There was a moment of awkward silence. Claire's mind was racing a mile a minute. _Okay... now what?_ She thought nervously, taking in her biological father's clean, professional image. His dark brown hair was short, his jaw was clenched tightly, and his brown eyes clashed with her green ones. He was handsome, she decided... in a dad sort of way. Slowly he stood, straightening himself to a tall, imposing height, well near 6 feet, she guessed. Neither of them noticed when Meredith excused himself from the room.

_Come on Claire think! Say something!_

But her mind was drawing a blank. The silence stretched on for another few minutes before Nathan finally shifted. Claire relaxed slightly, seeing how on edge he was. He was just as nervous as her. Good.

"Do you-" he started, breaking the silence. "Do you usually make it a habit to hide outside of people's windows?"

Claire blushed, looking down. "Well, um... no. I just... I thought that if you were coming then I might be able to..." she trailed off, not quite knowing the answer. "What do you do?" Claire asked, changing the subject.

Nathan let the excuse slide, oddly understanding of what she meant. "Well. I was a lawyer. I'm currently running for Congress, though."

Claire's eyes widened. "That's... that's a lot," she said, mind reeling at the information. Her father really did hold a lot of power! The silence returned, but for a much shorter time span, before she started bouncing on her feet, desperately wanting to ask another question. Nathan seemed to notice.

"What is it?" he inquired.

It was Claire's turn to shift her position. "Well, I-I'm just wondering. I mean, I can heal, and-and Meredith can start fire with just her hands... do you have an ability, too?"

Nathan stared at the girl in disbelief. Claire adverted her gaze from his. _Uh-oh... maybe he didn't know? What if he doesn't have a power?! What did I just do?_

She drew a shaky breath, and Nathan noticed her sudden change in disposition. "I-uhm," he started, before stopping again. How do you answer something like that without sounding completely crazy? Then again, she did just ask it... sounding completely crazy. "I can fly."

Claire blinked owlishly at him. "Fly? Really? I mean, that's cool," she replied with a small smile. "Where are you from again?"

"New York. You're from here, right?"

"Yeah, well... sorta. I actually live in Odessa, which is a bit away of here." She explained. "New York? I have a friend in New York. He saved my life a couple weeks ago," Claire rambled on.

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Really? That's... interesting."

Claire nodded. "Yeah. Hey! Maybe you know him? His name is Peter. Peter Petrelli."

Nathan froze at those words. "Peter? You mean... you're the cheerleader?"

Claire looked at him curiously. "How... how do you know about that?"

Nathan's eyes met hers again. "Claire... Peter's my brother. Which would make him your uncle."

Claire gapped at Nathan. "M-my uncle? He... he never... did he know?"

Nathan shook his head. "No. He still doesn't. He wouldn't remember too much, he was only a kid back then."

"But..." Claire trailed off, sinking into a chair. "Wow," she breathed. "What were the odds?"

She looked up to Nathan, who was nodding his head solemnly. "What _are_ the odds?" he agreed.

* * *

AND done! Sorry about the mistakes... but I'm sure y'all know how it is... when the mood strikes. You just hafta get it out. Currently, I'm leaving this here, I don't really know how or if I want to continue. Feedback would be nice... if you want, of course. ;)

I have a couple more ideas, though. Different ones! Stay tuned, if you may be interested.


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